Homeschooling

All children living in Québec must attend school: 

• from the first day of the school calendar in the school year following that in which they turn 6 years old
• until the last day of the school calendar in the school year during which they turn 16 years old OR at the end of which they obtain a diploma awarded by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports
• However, parents in Québec may choose to homeschool their children. Under the Education Act, a child who receives appropriate homeschooling may be exempt from compulsory school attendance. 

The homeschooling must, however, comply with all the conditions and procedures determined by government regulation, namely those regarding:

• the characteristics of the learning project
• the annual evaluation of the student’s progress
• the process applicable in the event of problems related to the learning project or its implementation

Parents who choose to homeschool their children must send a written notice to the Minister and the school board that has jurisdiction on or before July 1 of each year (on or before September 1, 2018, for the 2018-2019 school year).

If the student stops attending an educational institution during the school year, the notice must be sent within 10 days of that time.

The Ministère has developed a form parents can use to send such notice.

Under the Education Act, the Minister is required to prepare a guide on good homeschooling practices for school boards and parents.

The guide is currently in development. Bill 144 stipulates that the Minister must publish the first guide on good homeschooling practices no later than July 1, 2019.